Even a good thing can be a bad thing when it becomes an idol.

In Ezekiel 14:4-5, God warns His people about the idols they create in their hearts, saying “they are all estranged from Me by their idols.”

This is what an idol—any idol—does. It takes the place of God in our hearts and redirects the worship that should be for Him alone to someone or something else.

Idols, Idols Everywhere

Wealth, power, and popularity are obvious no-nos when it comes to idols. Though they too can creep in so subtly we may be caught unaware, for the most part Christians recognize and steer clear of these.

But the enemy is too clever to let us off the hook that easily. He uses the same old trick He started out with.

 Did God really say . . . ?

He followed it up with do this and you will be like God (see Genesis 3:2-5).

Sadly, he was almost right. We do now know good from evil, but we are nothing like the holy and righteous God. We are the minor gods we’ve made of ourselves, infinitely smaller, weaker, and less knowing than the one true God. And even on our best days, infinitely more wicked.

How grateful we should be for the redeeming blood of Christ that washes our sins away, allowing us to take off the old person and put on the new.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV).

Recognizing the Snares

But even as new creations, we are still made up of flesh and must continually guard against “the lust of the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16 NKJV).

Too often the snares we fall prey to are the very things that are meant to serve God’s people . . . our ministries. We may start out following the great commandment to “ . . . love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. . . to love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-38 NKJV).

But then a little praise comes our way. Praise releases dopamine and dopamine makes us feel good. We are a people who like to feel good, so it makes sense we’ll keep doing those things that trigger that hormone.

An honest desire to serve and worship God can turn into a way to feel good about ourselves.

What starts off with the humblest of intentions can veer off onto the path that leads to self—self-absorption and selfishness.

The peace of God—the peace that passes understanding—will never be found in self.

What Can We Do?

How do we guard against making a ministry an idol yet still do our best in our service to God?

“All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirits” Proverbs 16:2 NKJV).

A check of our heart is a good place to start. We should ask ourselves what we are getting applause for? This helps identify possible sources of hidden idolatry.

 Then ask who that applause comes from? Where does God rank on this list? If He’s not the name above all names on our list, then who are we more concerned about pleasing?

These questions require a deep level of honesty with ourselves. It will also require our surrender.

Finally, we should ask ourselves if this is something we could walk away from or give up. If we answer no to anything but our relationship but our relationship with Christ, then we may have created an idol.

“For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world” (1 John 2:16NKJV).

Let us refuse to make an idol of anything other than God, including ourselves.